Elmhurst urged to foot the bill to save its elms

Denise Linke. Special to the TribuneCHICAGO TRIBUNE

Elmhurst should inject all its 2,100-plus elm trees with fungicides to protect them against Dutch elm disease without charging homeowners to treat trees on or near their property, the Public Works Committee agreed Monday.

So far, none of the 33 trees that have received regular injections since 1996 has succumbed to the fungus, which destroys about 200 trees in the city each year. Eight of the 81 trees that have received one-time injections have contracted Dutch elm disease. The city gives the one-time injections to elms weakened by nearby road projects or stricken trees.

"There seems to be some evidence that trees respond better if they've been injected, but it's not a cure-all. There are too many variables to say that the injections are definitely the answer," said City Manager Thomas Borchert.

The injection program has helped preserve Elmhurst's trademark elms, even though public works crews had to remove 100 infected parkway trees this summer, up from last year's 86, said city arborist Mark Stevens.

"This was a very bad year for Dutch elm disease, probably just because the weather conditions favored its spread," Stevens said.

A flying insect called the elm bark beetle spreads the fungus among the elms. Several consecutive warm winters provided more favorable conditions for elm beetles.

Last year, officials launched a program through which residents could request that elms on or near their property be injected with fungicides at the residents' expense. Six trees were injected last year with their owners paying an average of $448 per tree.

Aldermen said the city should scrap the plan and pay to inject the trees itself.

"I'm flabbergasted that we are even asking residents to pay for maintaining public property," said 1st Ward Ald. Michael Regan. "It's like asking someone to pay to fix the road in front of his house."

Ald. Steven DuBois (4th) suggested cutting back the street maintenance program to free funds for tree injections. Borchert said he would include that option in the first draft of the 2002-03 operations budget, which aldermen will examine in February.